Earth Explained: A Beginner's Guide to Our Planet

Offers explanations on everything inside and outside the planet, from volcanos and tectonic plates to various land forms, such as deserts, glaciers, oceans, and more, in a comprehensive, fact-filled guide for young readers.

Grade 4-7. In the flood of good books describing the Earth, this one stands out for its excellent organization and graphics. Although the text is brief, it is up-to-date, mentioning the current belief that simple life-forms may once have existed on Mars; and broad-based, showing exactly how the "midnight sun" never dips below the horizon during summer near the poles. The full-color illustrations, while abundant and of a consistently high quality, include some pictures that will attract interest rather than extend the text (e.g., casts of dead human bodies at Pompeii). Generally, topics are clearly explained. There are no source notes or list for further exploration. In comparison, Planet Earth (Time-Life, 1992) employs a question-and-answer format, and its color illustrations are more closely keyed to the text. Neil Curtis's Planet Earth (Kingfisher, 1993) uses a similar layout in a slightly larger trim size than Taylor's, with a better overall design. Both are much less sensationally focused and include much more depth of information, but neither has a bibliography. Taylor's book is useful, but it does not replace the older titles.?Jonathan Betz-Zall, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Edmonds, WA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This entry in the Your World Explained series is a neatly organized visual compendium of facts and information about the earth and its geology. The premise states that the defining forces shaping the earth are linked to gravity and heat, both solar and geothermal. From the earth in space to current concerns about the future of the planet, the book's scope encompasses plate tectonics, land forms, weather and climate, and earthquakes and volcanoes. A hotel made of salt blocks in Bolivia, a Texas blind salamander, a fossil of an ancient sea creature found atop the Himalayas are just a few of the enticing sidebars on the topical spreads. Full-color photographs and drawings, diagrams, charts, satellite photos and maps, and cross-sections and cutaways illuminate scientific ideas and concepts in a panorama of visual images, without overcrowding the page. A great resource for projects and reports, and a smorgasbord of knowledge for the scientifically inclined as well as the purely inquisitive. (maps, diagrams, charts, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 8+) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 3^-6. From the publisher's Your World Explained series, this introduction to Earth combines a swift overview of the subject with intriguing fast facts. Readers will learn about Earth's place in space, its surface structures, its changing features, its climates, and its future. Within each section, two-page chapters focus on subjects such as plate tectonics or caves and feature excellent full-color photographs, paintings, and diagrams surrounded by text, sidebars, and detailed captions. A colorful introduction to the home planet. Carolyn Phelan